diff --git a/api/system-current.txt b/api/system-current.txt
index 9515f7160616d..7a5373b9d8955 100755
--- a/api/system-current.txt
+++ b/api/system-current.txt
@@ -1807,7 +1807,6 @@ package android.content {
     field public static final String NETD_SERVICE = "netd";
     field public static final String NETWORK_POLICY_SERVICE = "netpolicy";
     field public static final String NETWORK_SCORE_SERVICE = "network_score";
-    field public static final String NETWORK_STACK_SERVICE = "network_stack";
     field public static final String OEM_LOCK_SERVICE = "oem_lock";
     field public static final String PERMISSION_SERVICE = "permission";
     field public static final String PERSISTENT_DATA_BLOCK_SERVICE = "persistent_data_block";
@@ -6401,6 +6400,7 @@ package android.net {
   }
 
   public class NetworkStack {
+    method @Nullable public static android.os.IBinder getService();
     field public static final String PERMISSION_MAINLINE_NETWORK_STACK = "android.permission.MAINLINE_NETWORK_STACK";
   }
 
diff --git a/api/test-current.txt b/api/test-current.txt
index 86eea6275f897..df56f2c24d282 100644
--- a/api/test-current.txt
+++ b/api/test-current.txt
@@ -829,7 +829,6 @@ package android.content {
     field public static final String DEVICE_IDLE_CONTROLLER = "deviceidle";
     field public static final String DREAM_SERVICE = "dream";
     field public static final String ETHERNET_SERVICE = "ethernet";
-    field public static final String NETWORK_STACK_SERVICE = "network_stack";
     field public static final String PERMISSION_SERVICE = "permission";
     field public static final String POWER_WHITELIST_MANAGER = "power_whitelist";
     field public static final String ROLLBACK_SERVICE = "rollback";
@@ -1830,6 +1829,7 @@ package android.net {
   }
 
   public class NetworkStack {
+    method @Nullable public static android.os.IBinder getService();
     field public static final String PERMISSION_MAINLINE_NETWORK_STACK = "android.permission.MAINLINE_NETWORK_STACK";
   }
 
diff --git a/core/java/android/app/SystemServiceRegistry.java b/core/java/android/app/SystemServiceRegistry.java
index e8f30df614f3c..1aabd24d6df68 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/SystemServiceRegistry.java
+++ b/core/java/android/app/SystemServiceRegistry.java
@@ -359,14 +359,6 @@ public final class SystemServiceRegistry {
             }
         });
 
-        registerService(Context.NETWORK_STACK_SERVICE, IBinder.class,
-                new StaticServiceFetcher<IBinder>() {
-                    @Override
-                    public IBinder createService() {
-                        return ServiceManager.getService(Context.NETWORK_STACK_SERVICE);
-                    }
-                });
-
         registerService(Context.TETHERING_SERVICE, TetheringManager.class,
                 new CachedServiceFetcher<TetheringManager>() {
             @Override
diff --git a/core/java/android/content/Context.java b/core/java/android/content/Context.java
index c8c8fa6d385f1..6f4606659c3e2 100644
--- a/core/java/android/content/Context.java
+++ b/core/java/android/content/Context.java
@@ -3984,8 +3984,6 @@ public abstract class Context {
      * @hide
      * @see NetworkStackClient
      */
-    @SystemApi
-    @TestApi
     public static final String NETWORK_STACK_SERVICE = "network_stack";
 
     /**
diff --git a/core/java/android/net/NetworkStack.java b/core/java/android/net/NetworkStack.java
index a46c410bd55ef..a6d52d133ce90 100644
--- a/core/java/android/net/NetworkStack.java
+++ b/core/java/android/net/NetworkStack.java
@@ -19,15 +19,17 @@ import static android.Manifest.permission.NETWORK_STACK;
 import static android.content.pm.PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED;
 
 import android.annotation.NonNull;
+import android.annotation.Nullable;
 import android.annotation.SystemApi;
 import android.annotation.TestApi;
 import android.content.Context;
+import android.os.IBinder;
+import android.os.ServiceManager;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 /**
- *
- * Constants for client code communicating with the network stack service.
+ * Constants and utilities for client code communicating with the network stack service.
  * @hide
  */
 @SystemApi
@@ -43,6 +45,17 @@ public class NetworkStack {
     public static final String PERMISSION_MAINLINE_NETWORK_STACK =
             "android.permission.MAINLINE_NETWORK_STACK";
 
+    /**
+     * Get an {@link IBinder} representing the NetworkStack stable AIDL Interface, if registered.
+     * @hide
+     */
+    @Nullable
+    @SystemApi
+    @TestApi
+    public static IBinder getService() {
+        return ServiceManager.getService(Context.NETWORK_STACK_SERVICE);
+    }
+
     private NetworkStack() {}
 
     /**
diff --git a/packages/Tethering/src/com/android/server/connectivity/tethering/TetheringService.java b/packages/Tethering/src/com/android/server/connectivity/tethering/TetheringService.java
index 020b32adcfd73..c5329d8d3316d 100644
--- a/packages/Tethering/src/com/android/server/connectivity/tethering/TetheringService.java
+++ b/packages/Tethering/src/com/android/server/connectivity/tethering/TetheringService.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import android.net.ITetheringConnector;
 import android.net.ITetheringEventCallback;
 import android.net.NetworkCapabilities;
 import android.net.NetworkRequest;
+import android.net.NetworkStack;
 import android.net.TetheringRequestParcel;
 import android.net.dhcp.DhcpServerCallbacks;
 import android.net.dhcp.DhcpServingParamsParcel;
@@ -364,8 +365,7 @@ public class TetheringService extends Service {
                     IBinder connector;
                     try {
                         final long before = System.currentTimeMillis();
-                        while ((connector = (IBinder) mContext.getSystemService(
-                                Context.NETWORK_STACK_SERVICE)) == null) {
+                        while ((connector = NetworkStack.getService()) == null) {
                             if (System.currentTimeMillis() - before > NETWORKSTACK_TIMEOUT_MS) {
                                 Log.wtf(TAG, "Timeout, fail to get INetworkStackConnector");
                                 return null;
diff --git a/tests/net/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityServiceTest.java b/tests/net/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityServiceTest.java
index f3b61bade23e0..f7ad09ca36a69 100644
--- a/tests/net/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityServiceTest.java
+++ b/tests/net/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityServiceTest.java
@@ -428,7 +428,6 @@ public class ConnectivityServiceTest {
         public Object getSystemService(String name) {
             if (Context.CONNECTIVITY_SERVICE.equals(name)) return mCm;
             if (Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE.equals(name)) return mNotificationManager;
-            if (Context.NETWORK_STACK_SERVICE.equals(name)) return mNetworkStack;
             if (Context.USER_SERVICE.equals(name)) return mUserManager;
             if (Context.ALARM_SERVICE.equals(name)) return mAlarmManager;
             if (Context.LOCATION_SERVICE.equals(name)) return mLocationManager;